if you if you do you get the meal for free, only two have succeeded. welcome to "world news tonight." rivers rising and now tropical storm bonnie taking aim this holiday weekend. record rain triggering deadly flooding. the high-water rescues and the trail of damage. and now millions of beach-goers on alert. lightning strikes a birthday party, and a kid's soccer game, dozens of children hurt. they said he was dead. >> it was pretty disheartening reading that you had died in the government's eyes. >> thousands of vets cut off from benefits, forced to prove they are actually alive. on this memorial weekend, we get answers from the v.a. the biggest indy 500 ever and the driver preparing for a comeback after surviving this the last time. a hiker who slipped and fell over the falls, 70 feet down. and he lived to tell.

>> and the 4-year-old with the big voice. ♪ i'm going to let it shine now a big internet hit. he had the whole church on its feet. >> hey, everybody. i'm on abc news. good evening and thank you for joining us on this saturday. i'm cecilia vega. on this unofficial first weekend of summer, we begin with dangerous weather wreaking havoc in so much of the country. torrential rain in parts of texas. this pick-up truck there, no match for the saturated road in magnolia, texas, historic rain triggered damaging floods. this suv washed away. this is how it came to a standstill. now a tropical storm warning in the atlantic as millions are at the beach this holiday, rip current dangers from florida to north carolina. your holiday forecast in a

moment. and we have team coverage on it all, but first, abc's phillip mena with those flood rescuers in woodlands, texas. >> reporter: tonight outside houston, neighborhoods under water, residents scrambling to get out any way they can. >> we're just watching the water. we have nowhere to go. >> reporter: up to 16 inches in 24 hours washing out roads and submerging cars. two dead and now five missing after days of violent storms. in wichita, an 11-year-old boy is missing after being swept away when he fell into a creek trying to cross it. police rescuing a woman who drove around a barricade and got trapped. >> it is amazing they don't tap their brakes, they're just oblivious to it. it puts them and us in harm's way. >> reporter: today rescue crews working around the clock to evacuate people trapped in their homes. >> we woke up surrounded by a lake. >> reporter: in texas, this family on their way to their son's graduation. >> i'm graduating today. we had to get out of here very quickly. >> reporter: in the southeast they're bracing for a messy

memorial day weekend. our eva pilgrim is there. >> reporter: here along the south carolina coastline we are starting to see the initial bands of this tropical system move in. the wind is starting to pick up. you can clearly see some people are still trying to squeeze in a little beach time but the bigger concern for the weekend is an invisible threat, rip currents. >> reporter: a forecast keeping millions of americans on alert this holiday, from dangerous surf to high waters. cecilia, residents here are rushing to get out of their homes tonight, and as the water rises, so does the worry. they're expecting more flooding here for several days. cecilia? >> okay, phillip, thank you. i want to bring in abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano who's tracking it. rob, is there any relief in sight for those flooded areas out in texas? >> reporter: well, the rivers will continue to rise but no rain expected for the next 24 hours. that's good news. just west of there, severe thunderstorm watch for parts of

texas, check it out on the map there, until 11:00 tonight. also around the quad cities in the midwest until 9:00. that's bumping into seriously steamy area in the northeast. 92 degrees for the high in boston, 91 in new york, 96 in newark, new jersey. eva mentioned the tropical storm warnings out for the carolina coastline. bonnie 100 miles off shore, now makes landfall tomorrow morning about 7:00 a.m. there will be risk bringing rain and wind not just for the carolinas but rain for memorial day monday at least knocking down some of the heat. cecilia? >> okay, rob, thank you. and there is dangerous weather overseas to devastating lightning strikes in two different cities, injuring dozens of children. in paris children at an outdoor birthday party were huddling under a tree when they were struck. nine children and two adults injured there. and in germany lightning struck a children's soccer game sending 35 people to the hospital. here's abc's jennifer eccleston with the latest from london.

>> reporter: tonight, a paris park turned trauma center today after 11 people, most of them children, were struck by lightning after seeking shelter from a tree during a thunderstorm. six victims rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, including three children now fighting for their lives. this off-duty fireman hailed a hero after rushing to give the children cpr. europe on high alert all day as violent storms march through. across the border in germany, 35 struck by lightning at a youth soccer game. several seriously injured. witnesses describe a bolt of lightning striking a sunny field. and while those skies might have been sunny, storms nearby can send a dangerous lightning strike up to ten miles away. cecilia? >> okay, jennifer, thank you. and we have breaking news now from cincinnati. details just coming in about a

3-year-old's dangerous encounter with a gorilla at the zoo. here's abc's ron claiborne. >> reporter: the 3-year-old child somehow toppled into the gorilla enclosure at the cincinnati zoo late this afternoon. after crawling under a railing and through a fence. >> a 3-year-old child has fallen into the gorilla cage, and the gorilla is slamming the child into the wall and the child is in the water. >> reporter: officials say the gorilla picked up the child and was knocking him around a moat for ten minutes. >> it seemed to be a life threatening situation. >> reporter: rescuers were able to go in and one of them shot and killed the male gorilla while the child was trapped between the animal's legs. >> it's a sad day all the day around. the right choice was made. it's a difficult choice because they saved that little boy's life. >> reporter: the child was rushed to the hospital. cincinnati zoo officials say the decision was made to shoot rather than tranquilize the animal because they deemed the child at risk and a tranquilizer

would have taken too long to work. right now that 3-year-old boy is in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. >> that's good news in the story, ron, thank you. next, millions hitting the highways on this first big weekend of the summer. vague vacationers got off to a gridlocked start on the parkway in new jersey. one reason why? the average gallon of gas is now just $2.32, 40 cents lower than a year ago. as marci gonzalez reports, a benefit for businesses today. >> reporter: tonight, a possible record-breaking memorial day dash to the beaches, fueled by prices like this at the pump. >> the gas price is low, that really helps out a lot. >> reporter: as many as 34 million americans expected to drive this holiday weekend. the most in more than a decade, the last time gas prices were this low. >> the cost of traveling was just too high in recent years. but this year, thankfully, gas

prices have dropped and we're able to make a trip like this. >> reporter: turner batten, taking a memorial day road trip from tampa home to charlotte for the first time in four years. then it cost him more than $170 to make the round trip. this year, nearly $70 less. since 2012 the average driver has saved $3,400 a year on fuel. with more money in their pockets, this holiday weekend is expected to be a knockout for businesses. >> the crowds are good and they're spending money. >> reporter: gasbuddy.com estimates that the gas prices will inch up over the next few months but the average will stay below $2.50 a gallon. cecilia. >> take what we can get, marci, thank you. there are new details about that vintage plane that crashed in new york city. the w0r8d world war ii plane fished out of the hudson river today. the pilot, william gordon of key west, florida, did not survive. an investigation into the accident is now under way. and to the race for the

white house now, all eyes on california ahead of voting there, and donald trump's welcome definitely a mixed bag. outside his event in san diego scenes like this, protestors clashing with riot police. but inside, trump speaking to cheering crowds about his wall with mexico. but also, for the first time now denying that california is in a drought. abc's devin dwyer on the reaction tonight and the new controversy over trump's contributions to veterans. >> reporter: the protests lasted for hours after he left san diego. trump ig entitling a firestorm just 20 miles from the mexico border and raising eyebrows with this claim, that california's historic drought is a myth. >> is it a drought, no. we have plenty of water. >> reporter: tonight, more backlash. >> more drought, more floods, more extreme weather disturbances. >> reporter: in santa barbara where residents are under strict water use rules, bernie sanders coming out swinging. >> we are the campaign that will defeat mr. trump. >> reporter: the battle in california playing out as the

candidates prepare to celebrate memorial day. trump appearing with veterans as there are new questions about money raised at his primetime fundraiser for veterans in iowa in january. >> we just cracked $6 million, right? $6 million. >> reporter: this week trump revised that number, making it slightly lower. >> i think we raised like 5.5 or 5.6 or 5.7. we raised a lot of money. >> reporter: trump says that includes $1 million of his personal fortune. >> donald trump gave $1 million. >> reporter: tonight the chairman of the marine corps law enforcement foundation, a veterans charity, tells abc news trump called just this week to offer a $1 million donation and has transferred the money. trump says much but not all the money raised at that fundraiser for veterans has already been distributed, but the campaign tonight won't say which groups received donations. tomorrow trump will address the rolling thunder ride for veterans here in d.c. cecilia? >> devin dwyer on the campaign

trail once again for us, thank you. tomorrow on "this week," the full political wrap, abc's jon karl goes one-on-one with trump campaign chief paul manafort. on this memorial day weekend we are tracking thousands of veterans caught by surprise when they were cut from benefits and declared dead. their fight with the v.a. to prove they are now alive. here's details from abc's mary bruce. >> reporter: navy veteran michael rieker is doing what he loves most, riding his harley. not exactly what you would expect from someone who's been declared dead. >> they told me that mike rieker was deceased. well, as it turned out, it was a mike rieker in arizona. >> reporter: from florida, to new jersey. >> it was pretty disheartening, reading that you had died in the government's eyes. >> reporter: and georgia. >> i received a letter from the v.a. declaring me dead. >> reporter: over the past five years, 4200 veterans have been accidently declared dead by the v.a. due to clerical mistakes. their monthly benefit payments suddenly cut off.

>> it was, uh, pretty upsetting to find out that a major portion of my income was no longer coming in. >> reporter: rieker contacted florida congressman david jolly, who alerted the v.a. jolly tells us supposedly deceased veterans are still walking into his office alive and well. >> a woman said her father has been declared dead twice. >> twice? >> twice. >> that's a bad year. >> that's a bad year, right. >> reporter: in this letter to jolly, the v.a. says it is, "working diligently to minimize these types of errors." the v.a. says it is changing its system and will now send a letter to the beneficiary's address, asking them to confirm any deaths. if the v.a. doesn't hear back within 30 days, it'll stop benefit payments. cecilia? >> mary, thank you. this holiday weekend means it is the indy 500. the festivities are under way in indianapolis ahead of tomorrow's race. it is the 100th running. here's espn's lindsay czarniak. >> reporter: it's called the greatest spectacle in racing,

and the 100th running of the indy 500 may be the biggest yet. >> whoo! >> reporter: more than 350,000 fans will pack into the indianapolis motor speedway tomorrow, the first complete sellout ever. >> that famous checkered flag is ready, and he's over! >> reporter: firestone tires cracking open its video vault exclusively to abc news for the centennial race, footage going back 100 years. that's tire magnate harvey firestone asking his good friend, thomas edison, what he thinks of einstein's theory. >> i don't think anything of einstein's theory because i can't understand it. >> reporter: and this, a glimpse of famed driver mario andretti, before his 1969 indy win. >> i've been dreaming about coming to this place since i was 13 years old. >> reporter: but since then, no andretti taking the coveted checkered flag. now the pressure is on his grandson, marco. >> it's only right an andretti wins the 100th. >> reporter: canadian

james hinchcliffe has other plans, already securing the best starting position, just one year after this, a massive crash during a practice run that almost killed him. >> the biggest thing for me is just how lucky i was. i'm driving race cars again. i have no lasting side effects. i'm stronger than ever. in a lot of ways it's the best thing that ever happened to me. james hinchcliffe told me he does not remember that accident at all and that that's actually what has helped him get back in the driver's seat. no matter who wins tomorrow, it will be historic. cecilia? >> and we will be watching. lindsey, thank you. and a reminder that the indianapolis 500 airs right here on abc tomorrow 11:00 eastern. we've got much more ahead on "world news tonight" this saturday. the hiker and the drop that has to be seen to be believed. the fall down not one, not two but three waterfalls, how he managed to survive. and, you think you have a tough commute? the hour and a half climb that is straight up to get to school.

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bones, as i hit the rock first and then like a pogo stick. >> reporter: his feet shattered and barely staying above water, he was somehow able to swim to the side of the river. then a nine and a half hour rescue. first responders finally pulling him to safety. and tonight, a warning to other hikers. reichert knew he was stuck after jumping out to a rock in the middle of the rapids. instead of waiting for help, he tried to get out himself. >> i guess that's the closest thing to a thought i could be thinking at that point, you better just live. >> reporter: lauren lyster, abc news, los angeles. when we come back, the new secret about the universe revealed tonight found in comet dust. and a cautionary tale, a young mother's deadly encounter with fire ants and the one thing that might have saved her. ooh... >>psst. hey... where you going? we've got that thing! you know...diarrhea? abdominal pain? but we said we'd be there... woap, who makes the decisions around here? it's me. don't think i'll make it. stomach again...send!

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considering building a more sturdy staircase. new clues from out of the blue about how we got here. scientists confirming tonight that comet dust contains an amino acid considered to be a building block of life, glycine. the european space agency finding confirms that celestial objects may have carried key matter down from space to earth. and when we come back, the video we cannot stop watching here. one little boy's sunday best had the entire church rocking in the pews. ♪ this little light of mine ♪ i'm going to let it shine >> what caleb is saying and singing tonight. with the pain and swelling of my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ordinary objects often seemed... intimidating. doing something simple... meant enduring a lot of pain. if ra is changing your view of everyday things orencia may help. orencia works differently by targeting a source

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and now the drop the mic moment inside a north carolina church. the video going viral, and when you see it, you will understand why. here's abc's john donvan on this little boy with the big voice. ♪ this little light of mine >> reporter: from the second you hear him, you kind of can't believe it, but caleb serrano, he's got the voice. ♪ and, he's got the moves. >> caleb has been singing and demonstrating he's got the "it" factor for a long time. ♪ this little light of mine >> reporter: and in just the past few weeks, he's got the fans too. more than 3 million views since

family friend willy jones put up this video on facebook. caleb, "this little light of mine," performing at the new hope baptist church in greensboro, north carolina. >> so, how did a kid who was born, um, just four years ago get this good? >> we started singing when he was a baby. i would sing to put him to sleep. >> and where does his inspiration come from? >> where do you sing from? >> my heart. >> to who? >> jesus. >> reporter: and we know this, caleb's anything but shy. >> hey everybody, i'm on abc news. >> reporter: so, here's the question. he's got the voice. but does he have the finish? ♪ >> reporter: oh yeah, caleb's got the finish. john donvan, abc news. >> caleb definitely has the finish. "gma" and "this week" in the morning. i'm cecilia vega here in new york. have a great holiday weekend. good night.

developing news. the desperate search for a missing vallejo teenager has just been suspended but the family is not giving up. >> two family dogs are dead. happening now, we're live at "roaracle" as dub nation gets ready to cheer on the warriors a must-win game. abc7 news at 6:00 starts now. take a look outside. accept cruz beach boardwalk and folks enjoying the beach. it's been a very warm start to the unofficial start of summer, and if you were outside, there's a good chance you win to the beach. that's from santa cruz. a live look across the bay from the emeryville camera. showing blue skies and haze but the temperatures are on the way up and up. thank you for joining us.

let's go outside to drew tuma with a look out how hot it's going to get. >> we're style three weeks away from official start of summer but mother nature brought the heat today. look at highs today. you in the 7s so, the outlier, 80s in the region, 90s inland, and this is just the start of our nice warmup over the holiday weekend. inland, still near 90 in antioch, 89 in pittsburg, concord, same. san francisco, 71. 83, san jose. los gatos, 90. future tracker temperatures, a confident night on the way, by 9:00, 60s and 70s, and midnight, just need a light jacket and this is only the start of what will be warmer weather over the next couple of days. we'll have those numbers in the forecast. >> thank you. other news. today's search has end ford